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Tulsi GabbardAmerican politician
Date of Birth: 12.01.1981
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Family and Early Life
- Political Career
- In Congress
- Meeting with Donald Trump on November 21, 2016
- 2020 Presidential Run
- Military Service
Family and Early Life
Tulasi Gabbard was born on April 12, 1981, in Leloaloa, American Samoa. She was the fourth of five children born to Mike Gabbard, a businessman and future Hawaiian politician, and Carol Gabbard (née Porter). Mike is of Samoan-European descent, born in Fagatogo, American Samoa, and became a naturalized U.S. citizen at the age of one. Carol is a native of Decatur, Indiana.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Mike and Carol Gabbard were active followers of Krishnaite guru Chris Butler. Butler, a disciple of Indian guru Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977), founded the Krishnaite religious organization Mission of Chaitanya (Institute for Identity Knowledge) in Hawaii in the 1970s, where Carol Gabbard held various administrative positions until 2000. Mike Gabbard is a Catholic who practices Krishnaism, regularly engaging in mantra meditation (chanting of mantras) and participating in kirtans.
As is customary in Krishnaite families, Carol and Mike gave all their children Hindu names: Bhakte, Jai, Narayan, and Vrindavan. Tulsi was named after the sacred plant tulsi in Hinduism. Tulsi herself has stated in media interviews that being born to a Catholic father and a Hindu mother allowed her to "spend a lot of time studying and contemplating the 'Bhagavad Gita' and the teachings of Jesus Christ in the New Testament."
Tulasi claims to have chosen the Krishnaite faith as a young girl, not simply adopting her mother's religion. According to her, it was a conscious choice made after much contemplation.
In 1983, when Tulsi was two years old, the Gabbard family moved to Hawaii, where she spent her childhood and adolescence. Tulsi's official biography states that she was homeschooled, except for two years spent at a "missionary boarding school for girls" in the Philippines. She received her higher education at Hawaii Pacific University, graduating in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in business.
Political Career
In Hawaiian PoliticsFollowing in her father's footsteps, Tulsi began her political career in the early 2000s. In 2002, at the age of 21, she won the election to the Hawaii State House of Representatives for Oahu's 42nd District, becoming the youngest woman ever elected to a state legislature in the United States. In the Hawaiian legislature, Tulsi served on committees for education, tourism, and economic development.
After a two-year tour of duty in Iraq, Gabbard returned to the U.S. in 2006 and re-entered politics. She worked as an aide to Hawaii Senator Daniel Akaka in Washington, D.C. until 2009. In 2010, Gabbard won election to the Honolulu City Council for the 6th District. Shortly after taking office, she entered the race for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives from Hawaii's 2nd Congressional District. On August 12, 2012, Gabbard won the primary, defeating former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann by a wide margin. On August 16, five days after the primary, Gabbard resigned her Honolulu City Council seat.
In Congress
During her congressional campaign, Gabbard was endorsed by President Barack Obama. In the congressional election held on November 6, 2012 (the same day as the U.S. presidential election), Tulsi won a landslide victory, receiving 81% of the vote.
Her opponent was Republican Kawika Crowley, a divorced father of three who lived out of his car and earned an annual income of $15,000. Under U.S. law, he was categorized as "working homeless." One of the planks in Crowley's platform was the repeal of the smoking ban in public places.
With her election to the House of Representatives, Tulsi became the first Hindu American member of Congress in U.S. history. In January 2013, Tulsi was sworn into office. The ceremony, officiated by House Speaker John Boehner, saw her taking the oath on the "Bhagavad Gita As It Is" (the "Bhagavad Gita" as translated and annotated by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada). In September 2014, Gabbard gifted this copy of the "Bhagavad Gita" to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his official visit to the U.S. In November 2016, Gabbard was re-elected to a second term.
Gabbard served as Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee from January 22, 2013, to February 28, 2016. She resigned her post to endorse the candidacy of socialist Senator Bernie Sanders for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016.
On December 8, 2016, Gabbard introduced the Stop Arming Terrorists Act in the House of Representatives, which would prohibit the use of appropriated funds to support or arm terrorist organizations. The act would bar U.S. government entities from providing any form of direct or indirect assistance to extremist groups, such as the supply of weapons, training of military personnel, or sharing of intelligence. It would also prohibit U.S. officials from assisting third countries that finance terrorism. If passed, the bill would have effectively outlawed U.S. support for any state or entity that collaborated with organizations like al-Qaeda, the Nusra Front, and the Islamic State.
Meeting with Donald Trump on November 21, 2016
On November 21, 2016, Gabbard, who had been an early and vocal supporter of Bernie Sanders' campaign and ultimately voted for Hillary Clinton in the presidential election, met with Clinton's opponent, President-elect Donald Trump. The meeting was initiated by Trump, who sought Gabbard's advice on issues related to the war in Syria and the fight against terrorism.
Later that day, a senior member of Trump's transition team told media outlets that Gabbard was being seriously considered for the positions of Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, or U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. As noted by The Guardian newspaper, Gabbard's views on several issues aligned with those expressed by Trump: she had been critical of Barack Obama, condemned American intervention in Syria and Libya, and taken a hardline stance on immigration.
In November 2016, media reports also emerged suggesting that Gabbard had the support of Trump's "chief strategist," Steve Bannon, and that it was he who had arranged her meeting with Trump.
2020 Presidential Run
In January 2019, Gabbard announced her intention to run in the next presidential election. Due to her anti-war platform, which was unusual for a Democrat and had gained wider attention during the Democratic primaries and related televised debates, Gabbard became the subject of attacks by Hillary Clinton in October 2019. Clinton accused Gabbard of being a "favorite of the Russians" and suggested that she would receive support from Russia. Observers believed that this accusation raised Gabbard's media profile, boosted her popularity, and contributed to her reputation as an "anti-establishment" figure. Gabbard responded fiercely to Clinton, calling her a "warmonger queen," "the embodiment of corruption," and "the epitome of the rot that has infected the Democratic Party."
On January 22, 2020, Gabbard filed a defamation lawsuit against Hillary Clinton, seeking $50 million in damages. On March 19, 2020, Gabbard dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed the candidacy of former Vice President Joe Biden.
Military Service
In April 2003, Tulsi volunteered for the Hawaii Army National Guard. In July 2004, she took a leave of absence from her legislative position and deployed to Iraq as a medical platoon leader with the U.S. Army's 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and 627th Forward Surgical Team (Airborne). She served for one year and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.
In the late 2000s, Gabbard attended the Alabama Military Academy's Officer Candidate School, graduating in March 2007 as the distinguished honor graduate of her class, becoming the first woman in the school's history
